Estudi de viabilitat d’una instal·lació de climatització solar d’un edifici a Barcelona

Aquest projecte pretén avaluar la viabilitat de sistemes no convencionals de climatització (calefacció i refrigeració) que potenciïn l’ús de l’energia solar tèrmica en edificis, fent especial èmfasi en la refrigeració solar. En concret s’estudiarà el cas d’una instal·lació per a una residència - centre de dia a Barcelona. L’estudi no pretén dissenyar en detall la instal·lació, sinó plantejar-la a grans trets, determinant solament els components principals i estimant l’eficiència del conjunt. La metodologia de càlcul emprada es basa en el càlcul teòric de les necessitats tèrmiques de l’edifici i les d’aigua calenta sanitària. A diferència de les instal·lacions convencionals, on la base per dimensionar els equips és únicament la potència màxima, al tractar-se d’una instal·lació solar s’han estimat les corbes energètiques diàries, a partir de les quals, s’ha determinat la fracció solar aportada amb el mètode de càlcul f-chart. L’objectiu principal és aconseguir una instal·lació eficient potenciant l’ús de les energies renovables amb el màxim estalvi energètic però garantint el confort dels usuaris. Al tractar-se d’un projecte merament acadèmic, s’ha donat més importància al fet de potenciar l’ús de les energies renovables i minimitzar l’impacte ambiental que no a la rentabilitat econòmica. Per això finalment s’ha integrat en la instal·lació elements com la màquina d’absorció, que no utilitza energia elèctrica com una refredadora normal, i les torres de refrigeració de circuit tancat i híbrides, que redueixen les pèrdues d’aigua i els problemes de legionel·losis

Teaching Experience Based on Self-Evaluation Techniques and Clinical Dental Reasoning by Means of New Technologies

En este artículo se analiza la introducción de un sistema de autoevaluación on-line para demostrar las competencias adquiridas por parte del alumnado tras la participación de un especialista en Odontología que permita la aplicación de una ciencia básica como es la Histología en el razonamiento clínico y en la práctica Odontológica. El alumnado mostró una mayor satisfacción con el método así como mejoró la capacidad de adquisición de las competencias específicas de la asignatura.This article discusses the introduction of online self-assessment in order to demonstrate the skills acquired by students after the participation in class of a dentistry specialist who applies of a basic science such as histology in clinical reasoning and in dental practice. The students showed greater satisfaction with the new method as well as an improved ability in order to acquire the specific subject skills

Critical review on life cycle assessment of bio‐based platform molecules: sustainability metrics of novel technologies

Bio-based platform chemicals are a set of compounds identified as key for biorefineries development [1]. Their penetration into the current market would sustain the shifting towards a more sustainable circular bioeconomy. Specifically, their biological origin can reduce both petroleum dependency and waste landfilling. Although this constitutes a promising scenario, incumbent technologies are hampered by intrinsic difficulties mainly related to upstream processing and the complex biomass composition. In this sense, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a fundamental tool to identify hotspots and ensure environmental improvements against conventional petroleumbased processes. Even though the number of LCAs published on biochemicals has rapidly grown, comparison between them is still limited due to the heterogeneous methodological choices applied. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Skeletal Class III phenotype: link between animal models and human genetics: a scoping review

© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.This study aimed to identify evidence from animal studies examining genetic variants underlying maxillomandibular discrepancies resulting in a skeletal Class III (SCIII) malocclusion phenotype. Following the Manual for Evidence Synthesis of the JBI and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, a participant, concept, context question was formulated and systematic searches were executed in the PubMed, Scopus, WOS, Scielo, Open Gray, and Mednar databases. Of the 779 identified studies, 13 met the selection criteria and were included in the data extraction. The SCIII malocclusion phenotype was described as mandibular prognathism in the Danio rerio, Dicentrarchus labrax, and Equus africanus asinus models; and as maxillary deficiency in the Felis silvestris catus, Canis familiaris, Salmo trutta, and Mus musculus models. The identified genetic variants highlight the significance of BMP and TGF-β signaling. Their regulatory pathways and genetic interactions link them to cellular bone regulation events, particularly ossification regulation of postnatal cranial synchondroses. In conclusion, twenty genetic variants associated with the skeletal SCIII malocclusion phenotype were identified in animal models. Their interactions and regulatory pathways corroborate the role of these variants in bone growth, differentiation events, and ossification regulation of postnatal cranial synchondroses.This study was conducted under a pre‐doctoral contract for research personnel in training (CT63/19‐CT64/19). This study was funded by the Complutense University of Madrid and Banco Santander.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects on the maxilla and cranial base caused by cervical headgear : a longitudinal study

Objectives: The aim of this study is to test the possible orthopedic effects of cervical headgear on the cranial base and maxilla. Study design: a sample consisting of 79 subjects with skeletal class II malocclusion was divided into two groups. The experimental group was made up of 41 patients all treated with cervical headgear. The control group included a total of 38 non-treated patients. Each one of these groups was then subdivided according to age into one of three groups: prepubescent, pubescent or post-pubescent. Cephalometric parameters were compared in both groups in order to measure the cranial base angle and the vertical and sagittal position of the maxilla. Additionally, cephalometric superimpositions taken at the beginning and end of the study were compared. Results: results revealed significant differences in the cranial base angle and in the SNA angle (p<0.05). However, no differences were observed in the variables that measure the maxillomandibular relationship. While no changes were noted in the palatal plane slope, a flattening of the cranial base was found caused by the cervical headgear, in addition to a retrusion of point A that does not mean there was a reduction in the maxillomandibular relationship. Conclusions: cervical headgear treatment induces cephalometric flattening of the cranial base and a decrease of the SNA angl

Study of mandibular growth in patients treated with Fränkel ?s functional regulator (1b)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess mandibular growth in patients with Class II division 1 malocclusions when treated with Fränkel ?s functional regulator 1b. Study Design: The treatment group was made up of 43 patients that were divided into two groups: prepubescent (n:28), and pubescent (n:15). The control group included 40 patients who did not receive any kind of treatment and were likewise divided into a prepubescent group (n:19), and a pubescent group (n:21). A computerized cephalometric study was carried out and superimpositions were done in order to assess the antero-posterior, vertical and rotational movements of the mandible. A two-way ANOVA with interaction was done to compare the changes between the control group and the treatment group, while the Student t for independent samples was used to compare each age group. Results: The Gnathion and Gonion points showed significant differences in the whole sample (p0.05). Conclusion: The results show that the FR produces vertical orthopedic growth in the mandible but not horizontal growth compared to non-treated Class II-type I malocclusion patients. No rotational changes were found in the mandible, but we did record mandibular growth along the inclination of the facial axi

Retrospective study of maxilla growth in a Spanish population sample

This study has been designed to evaluate the vertical and sagittal changes in the maxilla due to growth. A sample group was chosen of 38 individuals with normal occlusion, composed of 16 females and 22 males between the ages of 8 and 18. The total sample was divided into three groups: prepubescent (8-11 years), pubescent (12-14 years) and post-pubescent (15-18 years). A series of cephalometric angle parameters (SNA, maxillary height, slope of the palatal plane and maxillary depth) and lineal parameters (effective maxillary length, palatal plane length, middle third of the face height and convexity) were traced. Superimpositions of the initial and final cephalometries in the Ba-N plane and in the Nasion fixed point were carried out to measure growth. An analytic statistical analysis was applied using a Student t test for independent samples in order to evaluate the differences found according to sex. An analysis of variance followed by Duncan?s multiple range test was done to study the evolution of each variable throughout the duration of the experiment. In light of the results obtained, we have come to the following conclusions: sagittal growth of the maxilla is constant from the age of 8 to 18 years with an average increase of 0.2 mm/ year. Vertical growth, as well as general maxillary growth, is greater in the prepubescent grou

Biopolítica y razón de fuerza mayor en Eduardo Nicol

In Nicol’s work exists an original conception of biopolitics that differs from the best-known theories. It proceeds from a conception of humanity characterized by the tension between “historical community” and “natural species”; and proposes a substantial difference between the world of culture-technology-liberty vs. biological nature and necessity. Nicol argues that in our era human freedom is declining, as humanity is being reduced to behaving as a natural species struggling for its survival in the face of the possibility of civilizational collapse. Therefore, he formulates a conception of biopolitics that not only consists of a mechanism to impose biological control over human populations, but also discovers a new biopolitical dimension arising from the predominance of the “reason of force majeure”, a systematic reason of extreme necessity, which emerges because of the possible civilizational collapse that is spreading globally, and which has been triggered by the expansion of technological power and ecological destruction. The outcome of this collapse would be an unthinkable regression of humanity to the level of a biological species struggling for its collective survival, with the consequent loss of historical purposes and freely chosen decisions. Those theses are critically analyzed, and their validity and theoretical consequences are evaluated.En la obra de Nicol existe una concepción original de biopolítica que difiere de las teorías más conocidas. Parte de una concepción de la humanidad caracterizada por la tensión entre «comunidad histórica» y «especie natural»; y plantea una diferencia sustancial entre el mundo de la cultura-técnica-libertad vs. naturaleza biológica y necesidad. Nicol sostiene que en nuestra era la libertad humana decae, ya que la humanidad se está reduciendo a comportarse como una especie natural en lucha por su supervivencia ante la posibilidad de un colapso civilizatorio. Por ello, formula una concepción de biopolítica que no solo consiste en un mecanismo para imponer control biológico sobre poblaciones humanas, pues descubre una nueva dimensión biopolítica surgida del predominio de la «razón de fuerza mayor», razón sistemática de extrema necesidad, que surge como consecuencia del posible colapso civilizatorio que se extiende globalmente, y que ha sido desencadenada por la expansión del poder tecnológico y la destrucción ecológica. El desenlace de este colapso sería un impensable retroceso de la humanidad al nivel de una especie biológica en lucha por su supervivencia colectiva, con la consecuente pérdida de fines históricos y decisiones libremente elegidas. Se analizan estas tesis críticamente y se evalúa su validez y sus consecuencias teóricas

Bone- and dentoalveolar-anchored dentofacial orthopedics for Class III malocclusion: New approaches, similar objectives? A systematic review

Objectives: To analyze the scientific literature and compare in the results of conventional orthopedic appliances with those obtained from recent bone-anchored orthopedics for Class III malocclusion. Materials and Methods: The literature was systematically reviewed using PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Scirus databases up to January 2012. Articles were selected by two different researchers (kappa index  =  0.83), based on established inclusion/exclusion criteria. Methodologic quality was classified as high, medium, or low quality. Results: The search strategy identified 1020 titles. Thirty studies were selected after applying the criteria (high quality  =  9, medium quality  =  21). Protraction rates differed within a range of one- to twofold between bone-anchored and dentoalveolar therapies (P < .001). All studies noted the effect of clockwise rotation on the mandible and an increase in inferior-anterior and total facial height; this was more obvious in dentoalveolar therapy than in bone-anchored orthopedics (P < .001). Conclusions: Dental parameters like overjet increased significantly with both sets of groups, ranging from 1.7 to 7.9 mm with dentoalveolar therapy and from 2.7 to 7.6 mm with bone-anchored orthopedics

Association between condylar asymmetry and temporo-mandibular disorders using 3D-CT

Objectives: Using reconstructed three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) models, the purpose of this study was to analyze and compare mandibular condyle morphology in patients with and without temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Study Design: Thirty-two patients were divided into two groups: the first comprised those with TMD (n=18), and the second those who did not have TMD (n=14). A CT of each patient was obtained and reconstructed as a 3D model. The 64 resulting 3D condylar models were evaluated for possible TMD-associated length, width and height asymmetries of the condylar process. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the results and student?s t tests applied to compare the two groups. Results: Statistically significant (p<0.05) vertical, mediolateral and sagittal asymmetries of the condylar process were observed between TMD and non-TMD groups. TMD patients showed less condylar height (p<0.05) in comparison with their asymptomatic counterparts. Conclusions: Using 3D-CT, it was shown that condylar width, height and length asymmetries were a common feature of TM